A national study conducted by the Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) in 2023 showed that among the 98% of Canadian households that have medication on hand (such as prescriptions, over-the-counter medication, lotions/ointments, and natural health products), 21% thought that such medications did not cause any harm if disposed of in a landfill or a sink/toilet.

Wastewater treatment facilities, including home septic systems, are not equipped to remove or treat pharmaceutical chemicals. If thrown away or flushed down a drain, these chemicals can have hugely negative impacts on environmental and community health.

For people working in the onsite wastewater industry, the statistics captured by the HPSA can inform the education that we pass on to homeowners. As well as the negative downstream effects, pharmaceutical chemicals can impact the biological and chemical balance in your septic tank. Encouraging your clients to practice proper disposal of pharmaceutical chemicals will increase the longevity and functioning of their system components.

Across Canada, it is possible to return unwanted or unused medications to locations such as pharmacies, that will properly dispose of them. The HPSA has launched an easy to use locator-tool that allows people to quickly find the closest available return location. Visit www.healthsteward.ca for simple guides that you can share with homeowners. These can easily be attached to maintenance plans or left during maintenance visits.